New Seascape Ecology Approach May Help Managers Identifying Essential Fish Habitat in Mangroves

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science researchers have published a study on fish distribution and abundance in Caribbean mangroves that may help in the identification and evaluation of critical or essential fish habitat, the placement of marine protected areas, and the design of habitat restoration projects.

The study develops an exploratory seascape ecology approach using the geographic location of mangroves and the distribution of surrounding habitat types to explain spatial patterns in fish density and number of species observed within mangroves of southwestern Puerto Rico.